Small plane crashes north of Adrian, killing two

With video: A small airplane crashed in a field near Heritage Park Friday afternoon, killing both occupants.

Staff reports

A small airplane crashed in a field near Heritage Park on Friday, killing a man and woman.

Lenawee County Sheriff Jack Welsh said they were flying from Pennsylvania to the Adrian airport, where relatives were waiting.

Welsh said Raisin Township police are handling the investigation and will not be releasing the names of the victims until later today. Welsh said the family has been notified.

Firefighters and police responded at about 4:30 p.m. to the scene about 400 yards to the east of North Adrian Highway south of Valley Road.

Jill Fain said she was in her house on North Adrian Highway when she heard what sounded like a plane descending rapidly then a sound like two cars colliding. She went outside and saw smoke in the field behind her house.

“It was so black through there, then about five minutes later fire came out,” she said.

She and a neighbor both called 911 to report what they surmised was a plane crash.

John Justice, who lives on East Valley Road, heard the plane go over his house. He went out and saw the blue and white aircraft circle around.

“It looked like the left wing was hanging or falling off,” Justice said.

Michael Miller said he heard a boom from his house at the corner of Valley and North Adrian Highway and a neighbor said it shook her house.